Boygenius: the only time it’s acceptable to put those two words together is in reference to the three certifiable geniuses: Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker. Before their respective solo careers took off, the three were in a band known as “boygenius”. In January, they announced that they will be releasing an album to tour with in March. Unfortunately, the band will not be coming to Florida, mostly touring in the west, but only a small number of tour dates and locations have been announced so far.
It should not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me, that I am personally looking forward to boygenius’ sophomore release. The mere suggestion that these three vocalists will soon be filling my ears with songs they wrote together is unbelievably exciting, especially after their first EP release in 2018, entitled boygenius. Since their first release, Bridgers, Dacus, and Baker have individually become some of the most influential female songwriters of our generation. I have personally grown to love each artist individually and cherish the ability to pick out each singer’s lyrical, musical, and vocal style in their collaborative pieces. The Record, their soon-to-be-released album, has three singles so far, and each is better than the last.
The first, “$20”, is honestly my least favorite on the EP thus far. It is surprisingly characteristic of a 2000’s era pop-rock song, a-la Avril Levine or Paramore. The key aspect of this song is the layered harmonies in the choruses and lyrical storytelling in the verses, which create a sense of stress and urgency in the song. It starts with Baker, singing the chorus, “Run out of gas / out of time / out of money / You’re doing what you can / just making it run.” Then, Dacus joins in, “take a break, make your mistakes, there’s only so much that I can–” is repeated on a round underneath Bridgers singing “may I please have twenty dollars / can you give me twenty dollars” which soon devolves into screaming “I know you have twenty dollars”, much like the end of “I Know the End” by Phoebe Bridgers. This song overtakes you in its urgency, and almost attacks you with the closely layered, three-part harmony that continues throughout. It’s really a powerful song, and surprisingly upsetting, although I can’t really place the reason why. Obviously, when I say that this is my least favorite song so far, the expectations for the quality of the next two should be astronomical.
“Emily I’m Sorry” is an eerie telling of the relationship between Phoebe Bridgers and Emily Bannon, who were suspected to be romantically involved for a while circa 2018-19. This song is heartbreaking. Bridgers does not hold back in her lyricism, as per usual. So, don’t listen to this song in public. It’s rare that a song of heartbreak doesn’t seem to me like it’s telling of Bridger’s relationship with songwriter Ryan Adams, but this one is more than obvious in its intentions. Upon first listen, what stuck out to me was the change of lyrics in the chorus. “I can feel myself becoming someone only you could want” turns into “I can feel myself becoming somebody I’m not.” Yeah. She really said that. I don’t know what to say besides the fact that I can never get enough of what Phoebe Bridgers has to say, even when it tears me up inside. Listen for the lyrics and the gorgeous background vocals by Baker and Dacus.
The final single yet released is “True Blue” and may I just say, it’s exactly what I wanted to hear. How did they know? This song is primarily Dacus-sounding, and something about the way that these writers depict the experience of being in love is unlike anything I’ve heard. The chorus, “And it feels good to be known so well, I can’t hide from you like I hide from myself”, makes me melt every time. This song is characteristic of Julien Baker’s solo stage performances, where she is alone using a guitar and a loop petal. The culmination of the song is in its name, where Baker sings, “Your love is tough / your love is tried and true blue.” I’d challenge anyone who says that this song isn’t reminiscent of the love between best friends. (I immediately sent this song to mine). So, if you’re adverse to love songs on account of your relationship status, listen to this song anyway. I’ve seriously listened to it more times than I can count.
You will be hearing more from me when the three geniuses release the remainder of their album, I’m so excited I can hardly breathe. I cannot stress the impact of the music of these women on my life enough, and they’ve only just begun.